CALLING ON LOVE

“And if I have prophetic powers and understanding all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but I have not love, I am nothing.”

// 1 Corinthians 13:2

Imagine you have taken a written test – let’s say science for example – and received a high passing score, but when it came to the hands on part of the test in the lab you completely failed. Your professor would be able to pick up on the fact that you had strong knowledge of the material but would immediately recognize there was a missing link when reviewing the outcome of your hands on portion.

In today's scripture, Paul is like the professor in the above situation. He is debriefing the Church of Corinth, informing them that having knowledge of the Scriptures, spiritual gifts, faith and hope are all vital and very important ingredients needed to grow in God, but he didn’t want to leave them (or us) there. Paul was on a mission, directed by God, to highlight what the answers to the test were before the final exam. His purpose in writing was to share the important link – to connect the dots between the written and action parts of the test. With that, he reveals the answer is love – that if our hearts are not planted in the soil of love then the fruit produced from just knowledge and gifts are as dead as any branch or vine that maybe lying on the ground.

Since God is love – and love is the way – then through Jesus we now have complete access to the Father (love). So this means when the trials start flowing in our lives or the lives of our friends and family we do not just use knowledge, words, hope and faith alone to move a mountain. Instead we freely call on the love of the Father – the answer to all scenarios that we might be facing. With His love we will be able to properly use the gifts He has planted in us to give true purpose to the seeds of knowledge, hope and faith in our lives; we will be able to move the mountains and expand His Kingdom.